General Motors Sued in Texas Rollover Lawsuit Over 15-Year-Olds Wrongful Death

Posted By
The Gilbert Law Group

The parents of 15-year-old Skylar Carpenter are suing General Motors for
her wrongful death. In theirTexas SUV rollover lawsuit, the family contends
that their daughter died because the 2007 Chevrolet Suburban she had been
riding in had multiple defects and was never properly tested. Becky and
David Carpenter also believe that the automaker had been well aware that
the sport utility vehicle would not provide adequate protection in the
event of a rollover crash.

Skylar died in February 2011 when the driver of the Chevy suburban she
was a passenger in lost control of the SUV, causing it to veer onto the
side of the road., skid into the culvert, soar into the air, and turn
over several times. At the time, Skylar and five other students were riding
with a teacher to a Future Farmers of America competition.

In their SUV rollover lawsuit, the Carpenters are accusing GM of negligence
in the design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of the 2007 Chevrolet
suburban. They claim that when this vehicle was made, General Motors did
not conduct rollover testing. The plaintiffs also list 12 auto defects
that they say the manufacturer knew existed. Their auto products liability
lawyers claim that side curtain airbag failure and seat belt malfunction
contributed to Skylar’s death.

Rather than keep her contained in the auto during the rollover accident,
they say that the side curtain air bag was seizing and binding up, which
created a huge ejection portal for occupants to be thrown through and
out of the vehicle. As for the seatbelt, they believe that it did not
provide the necessary restraint when it unlatched at the most inopportune
time possible even though Skylar had thought it was securely fastened.

In its recent release of its Traffic Safety Facts for 2010, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2010 rollover crashes
were the cause of over 35% of all vehicle occupant fatalities. Among that
percentage, 57% of rollover crashes deaths involved SUVs.

That said, auto manufacturers have known for some time that SUVs by design
generally tend to be more prone to roll over under certain conditions
and in situations than most vehicles. It is their job to minimize the
risk of rollovers and in the event one were to occur to make sure that
all the necessary steps have been taken to prevent serious injury or death.
When negligence or defects contributes to someone getting hurt, the victim
and his/her family may have grounds for an auto products liabilitycase.